PROBLEM AND THREATS. PROBLEM AND THREATS suite. Major Threats of Sea Turtle in Indonesia #1

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1 INFORMATION ON ECOLOGICAL AND FISHERIES INTERACTION OF SEA TURTLES IN INDONESIA by : Ngurah N. Wiadnyana A. SEA TURTLE SPECIES A.. THE POTENTIAL AND DISTRIBUTION Six of the world s s seven spesies of marine turtle occur in Indonesia ;. Hawksbill ( (Eretmochelys imbricata), 2. Olive Ridley ( (Lepidochelys olivaceae), 3. Leatherback ( (Dermochelys coreacea), 4. Green Turtle ( (Chelonia mydas), 5. Loggerhead ( (Caretta caretta), 6. Flatback (Natator depresus) Agency for Marine and Fisheries Research Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries Republic of Indonesia According to marine data atlas (989), there are more than 5 locations for turtle nest throughout indonesia (Updating) 2 PROBLEM AND THREATS Harvesting female turtles for the meat trade; Illegal harvest of turtles for subsistence and trade both for their meat and shells; Illegal collecting of turtle eggs; Pollution and debris including lost and discarded fishing gears; Destruction of nesting habitat; Coastal development; Human activities such as unintended capture in fishing activities or fisheries by catch using trawls, long lines, gillnets, etc; 3 PROBLEM AND THREATS suite The number of conservation officers to control and enforce the law against illegal hunting and harvesting marine turtle is still limited; Lack of coordination among parties concerned with management of marine turtle and their habitats More focusing on short term economic interest rather than long term one; Lack of supporting programs for research and management of endangered species particularly to those species of marine turtles. 4 Relevant regulations for sea turtle conservation in Indonesia (National) Relevant National Decrees Year Remarks Presidential Decree No Ratification of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) Ministerial Decree agriculture No Determination of several types of wild animal to be protected (whales, Dolphin, Crocodiles, Leatherback Turtle) Ministerial Decree agriculture No Determination of several types of wild animal to be protected (whales, Gray, Olive and Loggerhead Turtles) Act No Basic provision for management of the living environment Presidential Decree No Ratification of ASEAN agreement on the conservation of nature and natural resources Act No Conservation of living natural resources and their Presidential Decree No ecosystem Management of protected areas Act no Ratification of the Convention on Biodiversity Government Regulation No Protection of all turtle species including green turtle Act No. 3 4 Fisheries Act. N Regional Autonomy Government Regulation No. 6 7 Fish Resource Conservation 5 Major Threats of Sea Turtle in Indonesia # Reducing direct take in the turtle trade mostly in Bali, in the traditional hunting for leatherback at the Kei Islands Maluku), 6

2 2 Major Threats of Sea Turtle in Indonesia #2 - reducing in-direct take - by-catch mostly in the tuna fisheries, the shrimp fisheries and some coastal fisheries 7 8 Possible Interaction between Fisheries and Sea Turtles Migration route and Potential areas for interaction between sea turtles and major fisheries in Indonesia No. Fisheries Management Zone 57 Malaka Strait and Andaman Sea Dominant Fishing Gear Fish Net, Small Pelagic Purse Seine No. Fisheries Management Zone 74 Banda Sea Dominant Fishing Gear Tuna longline 572 Indian Ocean Western Sumatera and Sunda Strait 573 Indian Ocean Southern Java and Nusa Tenggara Tuna Longline and Small Tuna Longline and Small 75 Arafura Sea 76 Maluku Sea, Tomini bay, and Ceram Sea Fish net. Gillnet, Shrimp Trawl Pole&Line,, Small Pelagic Purse Seine, and Gillnet 7 Karimata Strait, Natuna Sea and South China Sea 72 Java Sea 73 Makassar Strait, Gulf of Bone, Flores Sea and Bali Sea Fish Net, Small Pelagic Purse Seine, and Gillnet Small, and Gillnet Small, and Gillnet 77 Sulawesi Sea and Halmahera Sea 78 Pacific Ocean Tuna longline,, Shrimp Trawl, and Large Pelagic Purse Seine Tuna longline and Large 9 Distribution pattern of sea turtles catching incidentally by tuna longliner resulted from interview in four tuna longline fleet basis Interview to fishermen at Tuna Longline Fisheries Bases: to know the status of sea turtles caught as by-catch in tuna longline fisheries Percentage of fleet Most of fleet capture at least turtle per trip Benoa Pelabuhan Ratu dan Cilacap Muara Baru Semua Stasiun 2

3 3 REMARK OF INCIDENTAL CAUGHT SEA TURTLE Almost all incidentally caught sea turtles were released back to the sea, for several reasons: () crews were aware of the prohibition of sea turtle exploitation, (2) the large size of some captured animals made it difficult to pull the animals onboard, there is limited space onboard to keep the meat or there is a taboo that sea turtles onboard would reduce potential catch. The training of proper release techniques resulted in many crew applying de-hookers to take the hook out of the turtle before release and helping the tired turtles recover first before releasing a turtle back to the sea. Observer findings in the tuna long line fleet 3 From observation on the tuna longliner, a number of 85 individuals of sea turtles were caught after 59 setting. Source: WWF-Indonesia 4 Setting and Hauling Position of Tuna Longline Vessels Based On Port Departure ( vessels, 539 settings) Summary data from onboard observers of tuna longliner May-December 6 (Field Data WWF-RCCF) No Re m ark s Location Kind Pelabuhan Bitung- Be noa- Ratu-West North Bali Java Sulawesi amount General Information Numbers Tuna Longline Vessels Setting Hooks Hooks rate on sea turtle (per hooks) BY-catch Sea Turtle (Unidentified) amount 3 3 Loggerhead Turtle Amount 3 3 Male 3 3 Female Leatherback Turtle Amount 3 3 Male 2 2 Female Hawksbill Turtle Amount 5 5 Male 2 2 Female 3 3 Green Turtle Amount 6 6 Male 6 6 Female 5 Olivereadly Turtle Amount Male Female Location of occurrence of sea turtle by-catch during May-December 6 Number of Individu (animals) Green Haw ksbill Leatherback Loggerhead Unidentified Olive Ridley Species Number of turtles hooked in tuna long-line gear (using J hook) recorded by observers between May- December 6 7 Number of Individu (animals) Olive Ridley Green Hawksbill Loggerhead Leatherback Carapace Curve Length (cm) Size of turtles hooked in tuna long-line gear (carapace curve length - CCL) Source: WWF-Indonesia 8

4 4 Observer findings in the shrimp trawl fleet The locations of sea turtles caught incidentally by shrimp trawl fisheries in Arafura Sea. Observation on 2 shrimp trawl fleets, there were about individuals of sea turtles caught by trip of fishing where trip is equal in average 4 fishing days 9 Source: WWF-Indonesia Summary of observer data in shrimp trawl vessels in 5 and 6 Big Challenges on TED Enforcement No Des cription Interval Average Percentage remarks Observed vessels - 2 Days per trip (days) Hauling (times) Sea turtles In 6, 4 of 26 sea incidentally caught turtle caught incidentally (animals) w ere death - 5 Sea turtles released % % back (animals) Sea turtles consumed % % For crew consumption (animals) and souvenirs 7 Sea turtle species In 5; Haw ksbill, often caught green, loggerhead, olive ridley s. in 6; olive ridley (4), green (8) and Loggerhead (4) 8 Fishing grounds Arafura Sea, Digul, Kaimana, Timika The main reason for the high number of animals caught is the lack of discipline to install TED (Turtle Excluder Devices) in their trawls, as this would reduce the fish by-catch. Usually, the boat crews were entitled to take and sell any fish by-catch as bonus and this additional income turns out to be higher than their monthly wages. This should be addressed when aiming to improve the application of TED (Turtle Excluder Devices), BED (By-catch Excluder Devices), and JTED (Juvenile and Turtle Excluder Devices). Unless this is tackled, it is highly unlikely that the shrimp trawl industries will implement the regulations. Sources : field data WWF Indonesia 5 and USING OF CIRCLE HOOK This is a solution to mitigate or minimize incidental capture of sea turtles Circle Hook Preliminary information of the Circle Hook Trial There were big challenges trying to engage fishermen in the trial The circle hooks size is too big compared with their hook. Their bait is too small for the circle hooks. They are afraid that their bait will fall off in the water. They don t t trust the new hooks to catch as much fish as the old. J Hook 23 24

5 5 Catch composition (36 setting) Summary of the circle hook trial Species Circle Norm al tuna's Hooks hooks Albacora 3 9 Big Eye Tuna Analysis Circle Hooks Norm al tuna's hooks Growth (affectivities Circle hooks than normal tuna s hooks) Big Eye Tuna (baby) Blue Fin Tuna 7 2 Yellow Fin Tuna 29 6 Skipjack 3 6 Utilized fishes Discarded fishes fishes Sw ord Fish 5 Marlin Shark 4 4 Mahi-mahi 6 5 % Utilized fishes % Discarded fishes % fishes Opah (lampris spp.) 3 The others fishes that utilized 3 22 The others fishes that discarded (ray etc) Olive Ridley Turtle Sources : field data WWF Indonesia 6 25 Analysis for big tuna only* Circle Hooks Norm al tuna's hooks Growth (affectivities Circle hooks than normal tuna s hooks) Number of tunas % *Big tuna (albacora, blue fin, big eye, yellow fin) Sources : field data WWF Indonesia 6 26 Conclusion Based on current data and information, tuna longline fisheries, sea turtles were incidentally caught during the fishing. Investigation in Arafura Sea shows certain shrimp trawl fisheries captured sea turtles. Se turtles were often captured as by-catch in tuna longline fisheries after reported by observers who joint onboard of commercial fishing fleets. The observers managed to get a more complete picture of the occurrence of turtle by-catch in the long-line line and shrimp fisheries. They are effective in reaching out to the crew and build capacity of the crew for turtle handling and - conservation. In combination with the observer program, a gear trial initiated by using circle hook showed preliminary promising results. From the 36 settings, the circle hooks did not catch any turtle and resulted in good fish catches, and the normal hooks caught Olive Ridley turtle. For the shrimp trawls, the application of the legally required Turtle Excluder Devices (TED), By-catch Excluder Devices (BED), and Juvenile and Turtle Excluder Devices (JTED) is not well enforced. The additional income that crew get as bonus from capturing demersal fish is the main reason for not applying the TEDs in shallow waters. Their salaries do not provide sufficient incentive to counter this. 27